4 Days Later
"Bullseye bitches!" I cheered after hitting the center. Four days after being told how to throw it and the stance, I had gotten better a lot faster. Not to mention I stayed behind longer than the others while Dex hit the library. I was going to make sure I had an advantage to those stuck up fire pricks. I finished the set of the day and gathered all the used kunai and put them back before stretching out.
"You know, if you want a bigger advantage when you start Taijutsu you should run before and after your workouts, and preferably with weights." I heard a familiar voice say and I turned to see Blake. "Where are the weights?" I asked him and he smiled before leading me to a different section of the place that held some weights. "Here, these are some of the lightest weights." Blake said while handing them to me. They did feel rather light and I frowned.
"Can I get something a bit heavier?" I asked him and he grinned even larger before getting some more weights that were pretty heavy and I put them around my wrists and ankles. "I'll run alongside you and tell you when to stop. Remember, no walking." He said before I started to run. I hadn't even been a minute in when I started to slow down.
"Come on now, Sage. Don't tell me that's it. Keep this up and you'll really be dead last." Blake chuckled and it kept me motivated enough until Blake noticed I was about to pass out. "That should be good for the day, remember to come here for morning running. Also try to do some yoga before coming to run and after all meals." He said and I nodded.
I saw him start to do some weird yoga poses and I tried to mimic them. "What's the point in yoga?" I asked him, straining myself to keep the posture; I was failing horribly might I add. "It helps with your spiritual energy which you need for chakra." He informed me and I just nodded. Once we finished I was sore and tired. "Let's eat!" Blake announced and I looked at him with wide eye. How the hell this man still had energy after all this is a mystery to me.
We ended up eating together and he escorted me to my bedroom before waving me off. I went over to my bed and looked at the clock. I turned it to go off early morning instead of having Dex wake me up. Tomorrow would be absolute and total hell.
2 Days Later
According to Blake I was doing amazing and progressing faster than I had before now that I had motivation of being called dead last. It's only been two days but I've already learned the yoga poses Blake does and the weights are now a twenty-four-seven thing since Blake said it'd help in the long run. Something about a boy named Lee did the same thing and he was extremely strong and fast.
He also told me I should start reading up on this world, which I decided I would do if I had free time sometime soon, but training and studying was taking up most of my time. Maybe this was how Echo is feeling right now. I mean I'm still sore and everything since my body isn't used to these things yet, Blake said after a couple weeks I'd be just fine and dandy, so we'll see.
"Sage!" I heard Dex from behind me as I threw another shuriken. Shuriken training was a lot easier after you mastered kunai, since they are smaller and easier to aim. I had to be able to throw four at a time though and get them straight then do the same for kunai before I'm well enough to participate in taijutsu. "Yes, Dex?" I asked as he ran behind me with his book.
It was after hours for training, so we were the only two people in there, although I'm pretty sure that Blake was some where in here since he practices when everyone else is away, minus me or he'd never get to practice. "I found a scroll on chakra control! You can do amazing things with it like enhance hearing or vision and even put it on your limbs to create powerful blows!" Dex said with excitement and I looked vaguely interested.
"Really?" I asked, looking at the scroll in his hand and observed some pages of it. "Ah, you've found it." I heard Blake behind us and jumped slightly while glaring at him. "You would think with those big ears of yours you'd be able to hear a lot better, guess not. Oh well.' Blake said while looking down and my cheeks puffed up in annoyance. My hearing had gotten a lot better and I did hear him, just didn't expect him to pop up behind me.
"Now, now Dex. What did I say about chakra control?" Blake said and I saw Dex look down and mumble he was sorry. "How about we make a deal, if you guys do well this week at joint practice I'll make your schedule practice weaponry in the morning, then taijutsu, and after basic chakra exercises." Blake suggested and both Dex and I looked up at him with big eyes. "Really?" We asked him unison and he nodded. "Truly, I won't go back on my word. Now practice since it's in a couple days." He said and we both nodded in excitement and he left us, although I knew he was still in the room.
"Did you hear that?" Dex asked and I nodded. "Obviously, we're rising up in ranks!" I said, grabbing his hands and he smiled back before we let go and both started to practice. We were having a good time and ended up not finishing until late. Dex left before me since I still had to run and I let the happiness of knowing I'd get to learn chakra soon.
It was joint practice. It had actually been a day since the whole chakra episode and Dex and I were throwing objects like crazy. We were doing well with our aim, although excitement made them slightly sloppy. We were both laughing and joking around and such while throwing when I saw Echo from the corner of my eye. "Echo!" I called out while waving my hands at her. She looked up timidly and waved slightly before looking around then running over to me.
I hugged her the moment she was close to me and she smiled a bit. "How have you been?" I asked her and she shrugged. "I'm getting a lot stronger, you?" She asked me and I smirked. "I get to start Taijutsu and charka control training soon, Blake promised us." I said while grinning madly and she nodded her head. "It's not as fun as people make it out to be, you know. It takes a lot of concentration and such." She explained and I just nodded.
"I know, I know. Jeez Echo, I'm excited since the uses of chakra seem endless." I explained to her and she nodded in reply and looked down. "You seem a bit out of it…" I said while putting a hand on her arm. She flinched away and it hurt me a bit. "Sorry, I'm just being tested soon and I'm under a lot of pressure. If I pass I will start taking on missions immediately and everything, so I'm just a bit worried." She admitted and I smiled at her.
"You're so lucky you're strong. I want to get out of this place and see the outside again. It would be amazing to get a breath of fresh air once again." I sighed at the thought and Echo nodded. "Echo, hurry up you need to practice your kicks." The same girl from last time said and I looked at her and saw she had a scowl. "She's really a lot nicer once you get to know her. Good bye Sage." Echo said and hugged me before running off.
"Don't be surprised with her changes." I heard from behind me and looked and saw Blake. "What do you mean?" I asked him and he looked at me before placing to hands on my shoulders and bending down. "The higher ups are under a lot of pressure due to high expectations. They always change for the first. Eventually the friend you've grown to know will just be another hollow shell that this place has made some people. You should be happy you're in this clan, we have the least amount of pressure and have small evaluations once every other month to see if we've improved." Blake explained and I nodded.
"That won't happen to Echo, she's too sweet." I said while looking at my feet since they were now suddenly more interesting. "Let's hope so…" Blake mumbled and I nodded. "Once you're in a clan, you can't leave no matter what, huh?" I asked and he looked at my quizzically. "You can't, you're stuck here since they deem you can't get any better than this. Why? Do you want to leave us?" He asked and I shook my head frantically.
"I was just wondering just in case there was a way for Echo to come here with us…" I said and he smiled. "It can't happen, but it's good you don't want to leave us. After all, we're like a family. In this world clans are just a family from a bloodline but here is means so much more. It means a connection to the others here, we have to stick close to each other." He explained and I nodded with a large smile. "Got it!" I chuckled out and he nodded before messing up my hair and it felt strangely nice. I saw it's because of the whole animal instincts thing.
"Now for the amazing news, want to hear it?" He asked and I nodded enthusiastically and Dex ended up joining me as well. "The two of you get to start taijutsu and chakra training tomorrow. Amy will be in charge of chakra and Eric will help with taijutsu. Anyway, keep your practice up for now and I'll do a progress check the day before next free for all day, got it?" He asked and we both nodded before he disappeared much like that guard did a week or two ago.
"We finally get to do it." Dex said and I nodded. "About fucking time, huh?" I chuckled and he just nodded before we started to practice throwing and laughing even more at our new found accomplishment.